Window sash control



April v1 I F. D. GRIM 2,439,046

WINDOW SASH CONTROL Filed June 4, 1946 a. Jr" 1 W 7 A. 14

| k YII/A 7/1. I

INVENTOR.

JTTORNEY a 50 i 24 I 22 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW SASH CONTROL Forrest D. Grim, Allentown, Pa. Application June 4, 1946, Serial No. 674,201

This invention relates to a mechanism for controlling the upward or downward movement of one member lengthwise with respect to another member in approximately abutting relationship.

The mechanism is particularly useful as a window sash control and will first be illustrated by description in connection with such use.

Many different kinds of stops for window sash have been proposed and successfully used. There has not been developed, however, any small and easily inserted device so satisfactory as to replace largely the weightand cord method of counterbalancing windows which, although requiring a hollow frame, is still the construction preferred in homes and offices.

My invention provides acontrol devicethat makes possible stopping a window sash at any desired elevation, holds the sash in that position until forced fromit by hand or like pressure and makes unnecessary the use of a weightand cord to counterbalance the weight of the sash;

Briefly stated, my invention comprises the herein described control device comprising a plate member that is preferably of generally flat face, a roller disposed behind the plate member, and spring actuated means forcing the roller against the back of the said member so as to insure adequate friction of the face of the plate member against an approximately abutting element such asthe upright side of the'frame within which there ismounted the article, the movement of whichis-to be controlled. -Inthe preferred embodiment, the invention comprises means for mounting the said roller within a slot which is inclined toward the face of the plate member and means, as; for example,'a spring, tending to force the roller at all times toward that portion of the slot which is nearest to the plate member, so asto make certain that the roller at all times applies controlled pressure against the back of the plate member and yet permits the plate member to accommodate itself to irregularities of surface of the said frame against which bears the face of the plate. 7

The invention will be illustrated in greater detail by description in connection with the attached drawing to which reference is made.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a structure embodying my invention, the structure being-partly brokenaway for clearnessof illustration. g

7 Claims. (01. 292-74) Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a modified form of structure embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the sash control device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the sash control mechanism.

The mechanism includes a member of flat face It! serving in use to engage the frame 29 in which moves the article to be supported, the said member being suitably generally U-shaped and hav ing sides l2.

Disposed behind the yoke is roller l4 with cylindrical extension Hi to constitute bearings.

The mechanism includes a housing provided with a depression to receive the operating parts, the housing having a back 18, ends 20, flanges 22 extending from the forward edges of the depressed portion and at approximately right angles to the said ends and provided with holes 24 to receive fastening members such as the screws 26 for'holding the device to the window sash 28 or other object, the movement of which within the window frame 29 is to be controlled.

The housing includes also the sides 30 provided with slots 32 (Fig. 5) which are inclined from the vertical when the apparatus is in operating condition so that at one end the slots are nearer to the plane of the frame 29, that is, to the face Ill of the yoke member than at the other end.

These sides 3!! provided each with a slot of the kind described are spaced from each other at such a distance as to receive the roller bearings. l6 and provide mountings therefor.

Flanges 3| extend inwardly from the forward edges of the sides 36. so as to engage shoulders on the sides I2 of the yoke member and thus avoid accidental disengagement of the yoke member from the housing.

A roller actuating member indicated generally at 34 is generally channel-shaped with sides 36 extending at approximately a right angle to the plane of the face Hi and being provided with cut outs 38, the sides being so spaced that the cutouts receive the cylindrical extensions it of the roller just inside the sides 30.

Spring 4!] is secured in any convenient manner to the actuating member as by pin 42 and at the other end to the housing in any convenient manner, as to the tab with eyelet at 4 4. The spring is of such dimension that it is under tension and, for that reason, tends to draw the actuating member in direction-towards the part of slots 32 nearest the face ii], that is, towards the top in Fig. 3, so that the roller I4 is at all times forced by this spring action against the back of the yoke member, face ll] of which engages the frame 2'9 or other part with respect to which the movement of the window 28 is to be stopped.

For making the spring accessible, there is provided opening 65 in the back of the housing (Figs. 4 and 5).

The operation of the mechanism will be largely evident from the description of it that has been given.

When the window to be supportedis moved upwardly or downwardly, the face It of the plate engaging member slides by friction over the surface of the approximately abutting part 29 rep resenting, for instance, the inside of the frame, for a 2-sash window. As the face It moves over irregularities of surface of the frame, that is;

4 While the mechanism has been illustrated in connection with window sash control, it may be used with other objects of conventional type for controlling the movement of an object which at its edges fits slidably between frame members. It will be understood also that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Control mechanism for an article slidably movable alon side an approximately abutting frame, the control mechanism comprising a member having a face frictionally engaging the frame,

-a. roller disposed against the back of the said member, and means forcing the roller against the said member so that the face of the said member -is hel-d against the frame.

2! A control device adapted to serve as a stop for the movement of the sash within a window over parts spaced unevenly from the edge of the v sash 28, the roller is free to move within the slots 30 so as to offset variations in the spacing between elements 28 and 29. At all times, however, the spring tension forces the roller outwardly against the yoke of face it, with a firmness that is controlled by tension on the spring All.

The inclination of the slots 32 ives to the spring action a mechanical advantage analogous to that of an inclined plane, so that an exceptionally strong spring is not required to give sufficient pressure of the roller against the face it of the yoke.

When the position of article 28' is to be allowed to remain fixed with respect to the approximate- 1y abutting member or framework 29, then hand or other external pressure is no longer applied. Under such conditions, the engagement of face it! against the abutting members such as the upright frame part 29 suflices to hold article 23 in position. Any movement of It with respect to it must overcome the frictional engagement actuated by spring at through roller Id.

The device may be used with objects of widely varying weight, the force of the spring being varied in accordance with the weight or difficulties of support otherwise introduced. Also the slope of the slots 32 with respect to the plane of face ill may be varied, the greater mechani-- cal advantage in the spring action being obtained with a relatively fiat slope of slots 32 with respect to the face Ill.

Materials of construction are those that are usual in parts of the class illustrated. I prefer to make the housing, roller, and all parts of the mechanism of iron, steel or alloys thereof, brass, or aluminum. The spring All is of conventional construction, suitably of spring steel.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the control mechanism of the kind described is inserted into the window frame 23. One of the mechanisms is inserted into the channel of the frame which receives one of the sashes of a usual win- (low with upper and lower sashes and the other mechanism in the channel to receive the other of the said sashes. In this construction the face Ill of the yoke member contacts the edge of the window sash instead of the edge of the window frame as described previously. Otherwise the mounting and operation is the same as described.

My control mechanism is small in overall size. simple in construction and effective and convenient in operation.

frame, the device comprising a plate of generally flat face, a roller disposed directly behind the plate, a support for the roller having sides spaced to receive the roller therebetween and extending at approximately right angles to the axis of the roller, the said sides being provided each with a slot inclined with respect to the plane of thesaid face, means mounting the roller rotatably between the said sides and within the slots, and means forcing the roller towards the parts of the said slots nearest to the face of the said plate.

3. The control device described in claim 2, the said means tending to force the roller mountings towards the portion of the slots closest to the said plate being a spring.

4. The control device described in claim 2, the means mounting the roller including extensions from the roller constituting bearings mounted in the slots and the said means tending to force the roller mountings towards the portion of the slots closest to the plate comrising a generally channel shaped element having sides provided with cut-outs to receive the extensions from the roller, the cut outs being oversize with respect to the extensions so as to permit free rotation of the mountings therewithin and spring means forcing the channel element in direction to move the roller mountings towards the portion of the said slots nearest to the said plate which engages the frame.

5. Control mechanism for an article slidably movable alongside an approximately abutting frame, the control mechanism comprising a member mounted movably so that it may be pressed against the frame, a roller disposed behind the said member and having cylindrical extensions constituting bearings, a housing for the roller and said member having sides provided with slots inclined with respect to the said frame, the said bearings being mounted in the slots, and means frame and provided with cut-outs engaging the.

said bearings, and spring means forcing the channel-shaped member and bearings mounted therein in the direction of the part of theslots nearest tothe' frame.

6. The control device described in claim 2 the 5 said plate being in the form of a yoke of generally U-shape, the base of the U being flat and serving to engage \irictionally the window frame and the two sides of the U eitending inwardly beyond the ends of the roller.

7. The control device described in claim 2 the said plate being in the form of a yoke of generally U-shape, the base of the U being flat and serving to engage frictionally the window frame, the two sides of the U extending inwardly beyond the ends of the roller, and the device comprising a housing including a depressed portion thereof of depth to receive the mechanism described including the said sides of the plate member and FORREST D. GRIM! REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Vikre Oct. 14, 1935 Number 

